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Male actors who receive an Oscar – an Academy award – are more likely to divorce, researchers have claimed.

Academics from National University of Singapore and the University of Michigan examined the personal lives of more than 800 actors over a 75 year period, between 1930 and 2005.

Oscar winners are no less than 205 per cent more likely to get divorced during the subsequent year than their acting peers, they concluded. Actors who had simply been nominated for an Oscar were also affected and more likely to see their marriages end, the research declares.

Dr Michael Jensen of the University of Michigan told The Straits Times:

“The Oscars is a social event, which elevates the nominees and winners to a higher status in their field and this, in turn, opens doors to more opportunities for them, such as spousal alternatives.”

Winners and nominees become more desirable to other women the professor continued, and men are more likely than women to take advantage of opportunities for infidelity he claimed.

“And of course, if they cheat on their wives, then it could potentially lead to divorce.”

The academics began their research in order to try and uncover the truth behind the so-called ‘Oscar curse’, in which actresses were supposed to be more likely to divorce after winning an Academy award. But the research pointed to male actors instead.

Dr Heeyon Kim of the University of Singapore explained:

“…when it comes to the personal lives of the men, it is not so great. And that’s where the real Oscar curse is – that it could ruin marriages and increase the likelihood of divorce.”

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